لي حَبيبٌ قَد لَجَّ في الهَجرِ جِدّا

لي حَبيبٌ قَد لَجَّ في الهَجرِ جِدّا

وَأَعادَ الصُدودَ مِنهُ وَأَبدى

وَأَعادَ الصُدودَ مِنهُ وَأَبدى

I have a beloved who is utterly bent on estrangement,

I have a beloved who has been very aloof in estrangement,

and keeps renewing his rejection and making it plain.

And has renewed his indifference and shown it plainly.

ذو فُنونٍ يُريكَ في كُلِّ يَومٍ

ذو فُنونٍ يُريكَ في كُلِّ يَومٍ

خَلَفاً مِن جَفائِهِ مُستَجَدّا

خَلَفاً مِن جَفائِهِ مُستَجَدّا

A master of many arts, he shows you every day

He is a master of arts, showing you every day

a newly devised variation of his coldness.

Some new mark of his disdain.

يَتَأَبّى مَنعاً وَيُنعِمُ إِسعا

يَتَأَبّى مَنعاً وَيُنعِمُ إِسعا

فاً وَيَدنو وَصلاً وَيَبعُدُ صَدّا

فاً وَيَدنو وَصلاً وَيَبعُدُ صَدّا

He withholds in refusal, yet graciously grants assistance;

He refuses gently and grants favor,

and draws near in union, then draws away in rejection.

He draws near in affection and distances in disdain.

أَغتَدي راضِياً وَقَد بِتُّ غَضبا

أَغتَدي راضِياً وَقَد بِتُّ غَضبا

نَ وَأُمسي مَولىَن وَأُصبِحُ عَبدا

نَ وَأُمسي مَولىَن وَأُصبِحُ عَبدا

I rise content, though I spent the night angry;

I go to bed satisfied and wake up angry,

and by evening I am a master, by morning a slave.

I fall asleep his friend and wake up his slave.

وَبِنَفسي أَفدي عَلى كُلِّ حّالٍ

وَبِنَفسي أَفدي عَلى كُلِّ حّالٍ

شادِناً لَو يُمَسُّ بِالحُسنِ أَعدى

شادِناً لَو يُمَسُّ بِالحُسنِ أَعدى

And with my own life I ransom, in every circumstance,

And I ransom myself, in any state,

a young gazelle who, if touched, would infect one with beauty.

Defending, if he would touch Beauty, an enemy.

مَرَّ بي خالِياً فَأَطمَعَ في الوَص

مَرَّ بي خالِياً فَأَطمَعَ في الوَص

لِ وَعَرَّضتُ بِالسَلامِ فَردا

لِ وَعَرَّضتُ بِالسَلامِ فَردا

He passed by me alone, kindling hope of union;

He passed me by aloof, so I hoped for union,

and I hinted at a greeting, which he returned.

And I greeted with peace, but he turned away.

وَثَنى خَدَّهُ إِلَيَّ عَلى خَو

وَثَنى خَدَّهُ إِلَيَّ عَلى خَو

فٍ فَقَبَّلتُ جُلَّناراً وَوَردا

فٍ فَقَبَّلتُ جُلَّناراً وَوَردا

And he turned his cheek toward me in fear,

He inclined his cheek to me, over a branched tree,

so I kissed pomegranate blossoms and roses.

And I kissed narcissi and roses.

سَيِّدي أَنتَ ما تَعَرَّضتُ ظُلماً

سَيِّدي أَنتَ ما تَعَرَّضتُ ظُلماً

فَأُجازى بِهِ وَما خُنتُ عَهدا

فَأُجازى بِهِ وَما خُنتُ عَهدا

You are my master; I have committed no wrong

My lord, I have not wronged you intentionally,

to be punished for it, nor have I betrayed a pledge.

So I should be punished for it, nor betrayed a pact.

رِقَّ لي مِن مَدامِعٍ لَيسَ تَرقا

رِقَّ لي مِن مَدامِعٍ لَيسَ تَرقا

وَإِرثِ لي مِن جَوانِحٍ لَيسَ تَهدى

وَإِرثِ لي مِن جَوانِحٍ لَيسَ تَهدى

Have pity on me for tears that will not cease,

Tears run down my eyes, no fake tears,

and pity me for a breast that will not be stilled.

And my breasts inherit from no feigned grief.

أَتُراني مُستَبدِلاً بِكَ ما عِش

أَتُراني مُستَبدِلاً بِكَ ما عِش

تُ بَديلاً وَواجِداً مِنكَ بُدّا

تُ بَديلاً وَواجِداً مِنكَ بُدّا

Do you imagine me, as long as I live, replacing you

Do you think I would substitute for you, after living together, a substitute,

with another, or finding any way to do without you?

And find, apart from you, a replacement?

حاشَ لِلَّهِ أَنتَ أَفتَرُ أَلحا

حاشَ لِلَّهِ أَنتَ أَفتَرُ أَلحا

ظاً وَأَحسَنُ شَكلاً وَأَحسَنُ قَدّا

ظاً وَأَحسَنُ شَكلاً وَأَحسَنُ قَدّا

God forbid! Your glances are the most languid,

God forbid! You are the most pleasant company

your form the fairest, your stature the finest.

And finest figure and straightest stature.

خَلَقَ اللَهُ جَعفَراً قَيِّمَ الدُن

خَلَقَ اللَهُ جَعفَراً قَيِّمَ الدُن

يا سَدادَن وَقَيِّمَ الدينِ رُشدا

يا سَدادَن وَقَيِّمَ الدينِ رُشدا

God created Ja'far as the world's guardian,

God created Ja'far, righteous in worldly affairs

to set it right, and religion's guardian, to guide it.

And righteous in religion, excellently guided.

أَكرَمُ الناسُ شيمَةً وَأَتَمُّ النا

أَكرَمُ الناسُ شيمَةً وَأَتَمُّ النا

سِ خَلقاً وَأَكثَرُ الناسِ رِفدا

سِ خَلقاً وَأَكثَرُ الناسِ رِفدا

The noblest of men in character, the most perfect of men

The noblest of men in nature, the most perfect of men in character,

in form, and the most generous of men in gifts.

And the most generous of men in hospitality.

مَلِكٌ حَصَّنَت عَزيمَتُهُ المُل

مَلِكٌ حَصَّنَت عَزيمَتُهُ المُل

كَ فَأَضحَت لَهُ مُعاناً وَرِدّا

كَ فَأَضحَت لَهُ مُعاناً وَرِدّا

A king whose resolve has fortified his kingship,

A king whose determination strengthened the kingdom,

and thus become his support and defense.

So it became for him a source of aid.

أَظهَرَ العَدلُ فَاِستَنارَت بِهِ الأَر

أَظهَرَ العَدلُ فَاِستَنارَت بِهِ الأَر

ضُ وَعَمَّ البِلادَ غَوراً وَنَجدا

ضُ وَعَمَّ البِلادَ غَوراً وَنَجدا

He made justice manifest, and through it the earth shone,

Justice appeared and by it the land was illuminated,

and it spread throughout the lands, lowlands and highlands.

And the country spread, plateau and plain.

وَحَكى القَطرَ بَل أَبَرَّ عَلى القَط

وَحَكى القَطرَ بَل أَبَرَّ عَلى القَط

رِ بِكَفٍّ عَلى البَرِيَّةِ تَندى

رِ بِكَفٍّ عَلى البَرِيَّةِ تَندى

And he matched the rain—nay, surpassed the rain—

It told of bounty, rather it excelled over bounty

with a hand that showers bounty upon creation.

With a hand over the open desert flexing.

هُوَ بَحرُ السَماحِ وَالجودِ فَاِزدَد

هُوَ بَحرُ السَماحِ وَالجودِ فَاِزدَد

مِنهُ قُرباً تَزدَد مِنَ الفَقرِ بُعدا

مِنهُ قُرباً تَزدَد مِنَ الفَقرِ بُعدا

He is the sea of generosity and bounty; grow

He is the sea of generosity and favor, so draw near him

nearer to him, and you will grow farther from poverty.

And increase, by poverty, remoteness.

يا ثِمالَ الدُنيا عَطاءً وَبَذلاً

يا ثِمالَ الدُنيا عَطاءً وَبَذلاً

وَجَمالَ الدُنيا سَناءً وَمَجدا

وَجَمالَ الدُنيا سَناءً وَمَجدا

O refuge of the world in giving and largesse,

O jewel of the world in giving and bestowing,

and beauty of the world in splendor and glory,

And beauty of the world in brilliance and glory,

وَشَبيهَ النَبِيِّ خَلُقاً وَخُلُقاً

وَشَبيهَ النَبِيِّ خَلُقاً وَخُلُقاً

وَنَسيبِ النَبِيِّ جَدّاً فَجَدّا

وَنَسيبِ النَبِيِّ جَدّاً فَجَدّا

and the Prophet's likeness in form and character,

And resemble of the Prophet in ethics and behavior,

and the Prophet's kinsman, ancestor after ancestor,

And descendant of the Prophet in lineage, indeed!

بِكَ نَستَعتِبُ اللَيالي وَنَستَع

بِكَ نَستَعتِبُ اللَيالي وَنَستَع

دي عَلى دَهرِنا المُسيءِ فَنُعدى

دي عَلى دَهرِنا المُسيءِ فَنُعدى

through you we seek amends from the nights, and seek aid

Through you we hope for the nights' forgiveness, and we

against our cruel age, and are granted it.

Appeal, for our time's misdeeds, to be redressed.

فَاِبقَ عُمرَ الزَمانِ حَتّى نُؤَدّي

فَاِبقَ عُمرَ الزَمانِ حَتّى نُؤَدّي

شُكرَ إِحسانِكَ الَّذي لا يُؤَدّى

شُكرَ إِحسانِكَ الَّذي لا يُؤَدّى

So live as long as time itself, until we render

So live out the age of time, until we repay

the thanks for your kindness that can never be rendered.

The gratitude for your favor, which cannot be repaid.